Best Neighborhoods: 24th Avenue Northwest, Ballard

PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE: Indie traditionalists

It’s a familiar syndrome in many families: the spotlight-craving, showboat sibling versus the spotlight-dodging, quietly confident one. Just north of Ballard’s more look-at-me venues on historic Ballard Avenue NW and mainstream NW Market Street lie the subdued, tree-lined offerings of 24th Avenue NW. Here you’ll find colorful coffee shops and a chic wine bar mixing with old-school taverns and a traditional barbershop, along with the newfangled On The Park apartments, complete with an expansive QFC supermarket offering a far more impressive selection of produce, fish and meat than the old QFC store it replaced.

2. BikeSportGotta love their sense of humor. Among the 10 reasons cited for why you should buy a bike here is No. 4: “Every model we choose to stock is stress-tested, race-tested, flame-tested, taste-tested, water-tested, marinated in basil-pesto-soy sauce and tested for its ability to make you attractive to the opposite sex.” 5601 24th Ave. NW; 206.706.4700; ilovemybike.com

8. O’shan SushiThere was a time when “Ballard” and “sushi” were as oxymoronic as “jumbo” and “shrimp.” Not anymore. This elegant little family-owned gem is the sort of place you want to keep a secret. So don’t tell another soul. 5809 24th Ave. NW; 206.420.3737; oshansushi.com